Living and Eating is above all a cookery book, packed with 'luscious recipes' (Marie Claire), with food that has been selected to be simple and delicious. The intention is to narrow the gap between how we eat on a daily basis and how we entertain, recognizing that the most relaxed form of entertaining is simply about inviting people to join you at your table. The collection of recipes is designed to cater for all seasons and occasions, and gives attention to making the best ever version of everyone's favourites: there are recipes for roast chicken, the definitive tomato salad, tagliatelle a la carbonara, apple tart and summer pudding. The book goes beyond the food itself to look at the whole context in which we enjoy it - the plates and glasses we eat and drink from, the equipment we use to prepare the food and the kitchen in which we cook. Exquisitely designed and produced, and illustrated with stunning food photography and photographs of John Pawson's London house, Living and Eating is an unparalleled, much praised guide to a simple yet utterly seductive way of cooking, eating and living.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
What do architectural design and food have in common? According to internationally acclaimed architect John Pawson and celebrated food writer Annie Bell, both are best when pared down to their essentials. Their goal in Living and Eating is to enrich the experience of living by getting rid of everything that is unnecessary and distracting, leaving us with the elements that truly matter. They seek to enhance the time we spend in the kitchen and at the table without expending extra time or effort.
The recipes are stunning--surely impressive enough to wow guests--but all are exceedingly simple to prepare. In Red Wine Risotto, wine cloaks the rice with a lustrous deep crimson emulsion and creates a delectably silky texture. Only butter, a chopped onion, chicken stock, and a little Parmesan are needed to complete the dish. Roast Monkfish is smeared with an anchovy-rosemary-lemon-butter and wrapped with prosciutto. As it bakes, a deliciously buttery sauce is formed, perfect for mopping up with chunks of crusty bread.
Pawson and Bell include no fewer than nine recipes for roast chicken--from homey Chicken Roasted with Garlic to the more exotic Roast Guinea Hen with Pistachio and Lemon Crumbs. Desserts are likewise familiar, while at the same time elegant enough to serve to guests. Baked Couscous Pudding with Raisins offers a clever twist on rice pudding--and it's equally rich and satisfying. Pan-Poached Nectarines in Spiced Wine Syrup are exotically scented with lemongrass and cardamom pods.
With its spare page design and stunning photographs of Pawson's extraordinary home, Living and Eating will surely strike a chord with anyone looking for a simpler way to live, eat, and entertain. --Robin Donovan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"beautifully designed and illustrated...full of marvellous recipes you really want to eat" -- Catriona Howatson Daily Telegraph 20040428 "good, simple recipes beautifully presented" -- Tom Dixon, Creative Director Of Habitat Glamour
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Being an amateur cook is not always easy. But this book starts out setting the stage with cookware etc. It then explains in an effortless way how to cook some of the best dishes I have ever prepared. The stuff works every time and it always looks good. Currently this is my one stop book for all my dinner parties, and I have a large collection of cookbooks! Well worth the money and a beautiful book to read as well.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I found my copy of this book used at a library book sale a couple years ago. So, why write a review of it on Amazon, especially now? I just moved abroad and my copy of this book is among those that didn't find their way into my suitcase. I miss it already.
I must admit that the first time I looked through it, I found it pretentious and unrealistic. The recipes, the recommendations, etc. All of it seemed a bit contrived.
However, I got to know it. I misinterpreted it at first. What I though was pretentious or whatever was more along the lines of an exploration of food in line with a particular philosophy. It's a balance of food, philosophy, and solid ideas that I haven't managed to find anywhere else. Once I sat down and understood it for the statement that it is, it became incredibly valuable to me.
I started cooking as a line cook at a big chain seafood restaurant. Not inspiring, but it got me comfortable with cooking, with working with a variety of ingredients in a way I was unable to before. After I left, I started cooking for myself, and eventually this book was one of the things that really helped me find joy and ultimately a very enriching experience in cooking. It was a great presence for me.
This is the sort of book that won't be to the taste of a lot of potential buyers. It has an agenda and makes no apologies. However, if you can see the beauty in the philosophy that underlies the book as a whole and explore it for yourself, it's wonderful. Not for everyone, but all the same I recommend it.
I must admit that the first time I looked through it, I found it pretentious and unrealistic. The recipes, the recommendations, etc. All of it seemed a bit contrived.
However, I got to know it. I misinterpreted it at first. What I though was pretentious or whatever was more along the lines of an exploration of food in line with a particular philosophy. It's a balance of food, philosophy, and solid ideas that I haven't managed to find anywhere else. Once I sat down and understood it for the statement that it is, it became incredibly valuable to me.
I started cooking as a line cook at a big chain seafood restaurant. Not inspiring, but it got me comfortable with cooking, with working with a variety of ingredients in a way I was unable to before. After I left, I started cooking for myself, and eventually this book was one of the things that really helped me find joy and ultimately a very enriching experience in cooking. It was a great presence for me.
This is the sort of book that won't be to the taste of a lot of potential buyers. It has an agenda and makes no apologies. However, if you can see the beauty in the philosophy that underlies the book as a whole and explore it for yourself, it's wonderful. Not for everyone, but all the same I recommend it.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I've got hundreds of cookery books. This is my favourite cookery book for several reasons. The recipes are fail-proof and the results are restaurant quality every time. The recipes appeal to me and make me want to try them (there are only a handful of things remaining that I've not tried to make yet). The book is as much about lifestyle and style as much as cookery - its refreshing to look at and inspiring to read. My favourite recipes from the book are often the most simple and frequently cook them - midnight spaghetti, vichyssoise & salmon, venetian peas & rice, tomato & basil lasagne, the best shepherds pie you could ever make and a nifty way to cook perfect, tender steaks.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome!
Every single recipe I've made from this book has been awesome! Definitely reccomended! Especially the Potato Leek Soup and Tabbouleh!
Published on February 6, 2010 by J. Schmidt
2.0 out of 5 stars
Can't get past the pretentiousness to critique the recipes!
The writers did themselves a disservice when they started out the book with a load of pretentious gibberish. A garbage disposal has "an extraordinary lack of grace". Of course. Read more
Published on November 19, 2009 by chimera
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspired simplicity
The premise of not being in the kitchen attending to dinner while your guests amuse themselves was the most welcome news I had come across in a cookbook. Read more
Published on November 30, 2007 by Susan MacDonald
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